Leadership Team
Staff
Residential Team
Professional Development Team
Mentoring Team
Elyssa Lewis has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary humanities and social thought from New York University. Driven by a passion for human rights and social justice, Elyssa has volunteered alongside Habitat for Humanity in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and worked as a Girl Scouts counselor in the Yup'ik villages of rural Alaska. Elyssa is a poet, musician, and artist from Colorado whose work has been published in academic journals and poetry magazines. Elyssa currently works in hospice, bringing her nurturing, compassionate energy to the end of life process.
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Elyssa was a lead residential staff and interim assistant director at Resilience Rising's residential childcare facility in Colorado and has continued to mentor RR alumnae. Having always been drawn to the particular challenges facing women and girls in contemporary society, Elyssa's employment with Resilience Rising results from years of intuition-led preparation.
Elyssa Lewis, MA
Mentor
Esther Hernandez
Lead Residential Supervisor, Esther Hernandez, has been a consistent force on the RR team. Her ability to connect art to healing is an asset. Esther is currently a resident artist at Redline, a nonprofit contemporary art center that fosters education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. She is also teaching high school students at the Center for Visual Art at Metropolitan State University; this summer internship engages the next generation in the evolving cultural capitol of Denver. Esther's artistic soul makes her real and accessible to the youth at Resilience Rising. And because of her consistency and commitment, the youth are able to recognize her as a genuine, stable presence in their lives.
101 S Topanga Canyon Blvd, PO Box 805, Topanga, CA 90290-9998
(310) 488-8195